McDonald's employees share the 4 best things about working at the fast food giant

McDonald’s crew members shared the best aspects of the work with Business Insider.

A good number said they enjoyed the discounted meals, while others praised the regular customers and their own colleagues.

McDonald’s restaurant gigs – along with all fast food jobs, come to think of it – have a reputation for being tough, poorly-paid, and thankless.

That’s almost certainly true for many crew members. Other current and former crew members, however, have spoken to Business Insider about the brighter side of the work.

A number of them cited the people – colleagues and customers alike – as the best aspect of the job.

Here’s the best part of working beneath the glow of the Golden Arches, according to crew members:

The opportunities for advancement

One crew member said that certain franchises offer solid paychecks and plenty of chances to get promoted.

“I worked in New York City, where fast food workers got paid a higher minimum wage than other workers, so that was a plus,” a New York-based employee told Business Insider. “If you’re a hard-working individual and you work your hardest, you’ll get more hours and move up in store pretty quickly.”

The friendly regulars

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“We had regulars – often seniors – who would come in every day for their meals, which the cashiers memorized,” an assistant manager from Georgia told Business Insider. “It was always sweet building relationships like that with customers.”

A different Georgia-based employee told Business Insider that they favoured their restaurant’s “family atmosphere.”

And a crew member from Pennsylvania said that “meeting people and making friends through the window” while working at the drive-thru was their favourite aspect of the job.

The free and discounted fast food

Unsurprisingly, the best part of working at McDonald’s is the food for a good number of crew members.

One Minnesota-based employee said the “discounts on the food” were the best part of the gig, adding that they often opted to eat the chicken tenders, chicken nuggets, or cheeseburgers while on lunch break.

Another former McDonald’s general manager said that “the food” was the best part of the job, adding that they preferred the quarter pounder with cheese, fresh French Fries, and a coke.

Even crew members who aren’t fast food fans praised the perk.

A crew member from outside of Chicago said that employees at their location had the opportunity to enjoy “free food” but that it was only a perk until they got “sick of it.”

The friendships with other crew members

A former Pennsylvania-based employee told Business Insider that “crew member friendships” were the best part of the job.

“At my particular McDonald’s, I really enjoyed my coworkers,” a former crew member from Virginia told Business Insider. “I know this isn’t a universal experience for a lot of people, but knowing that I had some friends and even managers watching my back during difficult periods throughout the day made an otherwise unpleasant job bearable.”

Are you a current or former McDonald’s employee with a story to share? Email [email protected]